You've Got Five Pages, The Shattered Skies by John Birmingham, to Tell Me You're Good.

The first chapter can make or break a reader's engagement with a story. We as writers must craft brilliant opening pages in order to hook those picky readers, so let's study the stories of others to see how they do it! With The Shattered Skies by John Birmingham, we have a unique situation. This is a new release in Science Fiction, but it's also the second book of a trilogy, which means a lot of establishment of character, conflict, and setting have already been accomplished. So, we've got to seriously temper our expectations when it comes to worldbuilding and character development, for much of that could be present in the first book, The Cruel Stars. That said, the conflicts and worldbuilding alluded to by the first chapter's primary character sound epic in their scope, and the character's voice certainly fits a military mind. I just wish this character could have interacted with someone instead of reflecting on it all while waiting to land on a planet! You know me--I'm a sucker for a beginning with some action. :) And what will you, fellow creatives, make of these first five pages? Let's find out!